This sampler is a great way to introduce yourself to to the rich world of incense. All of these incense pair beautifully with tea without being overwhelming. They are made with pure ingredients without artificial scents.

Silky soft aloeswood, with notes of aged, dry wood.

One of the most approachable and delicate of incense, this Hainan Aloeswood could burn nearby without ever feeling overwhelming. The calming, subdued quality this incense brings to a room is as remarkable as it is ephemeral.

Aloeswood is an incredibly prized fragrant wood, more valuable that sandalwood. Aloeswood comes from the Aquilaria tree, and it only becomes fragrant once it has been infected by a particular mold. It has a scent profile that is both bright and dark at the same time, and is quite beautiful.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Hainan Aloeswood incense pairs quite well with all of Totem's green teas.

Beautiful incense burner that burns the entire stick.

Smoke drifts up beautifully through the magnet-attached, coin-patterned lid of this incense burner. Made of rosewood and fireproof fabric, this incense burner will burn the entire incense stick horizontally, without leaving tiny unburned nubs, as happens with incense holders. Fireproof 'fire-cotton' fabric is used so that air can flow easily all around the lit incense stick.

Incense will not stay lit on a plain, flat surface. But when placed on the 'fire-cotton' fabric in this incense burner, it will burn easily and safely.

Traditional Japanese profile incense with cooling water-like qualities. Made with natural aloeswood, sandalwood, and spices.

Traditional Japanese incense, notes of water, spice, and dark wood.

This traditional incense is made from pulverized aloeswood and sandalwood, combined with spices such as benzoin, cinnamon, and camphor; blended and joined with sake. This is one of my all-time favorite incenses, and it always strikes me with a focusing feeling.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Hone goes well with any of the dark and aged oolongs.

Comforting incense with many warming spice notes including camphor, clove, and benzoin, built around quality Laoshan sandalwood.

Smooth sandalwood and very warm spices.

The prominent spice profile in this incense creates a warming, attentive atmosphere. I love walking into a room where I have left this incense... it feels welcoming, like a hearth fire where cinnamon, clove, and fragrant woods are gently heated nearby.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Offering goes pairs evenly with the 1988 Aged Ginseng Oolong, and is juxtaposed nicely with any of the fragrant oolongs like Osmanthus Jin Xuan.

Opening camphor alongside grounding fragrant wood and spices.

This ambient incense is the lowest smoke incense that I've come across. I find that it is never overwhelming, and that it's scent is quite calming while at the same time engaging. Camphor, aloeswood and sandalwood oil, and other spices are dominant in this incense, that feels very well balanced and clean.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Sinking Night goes well with any of the dark and aged oolongs.

Rich, bright, and smooth sandalwood that is very pure - the highest quality sandalwood I've tried in stick form.

Aged sandalwood that is soothing and bright.

Sandalwood is one of the most prized aromatic woods, and it is known to maintain its scent for many years. The sandalwood used in this incense has been weathered and aged before being ground and combined with a clean, low-combustion incense base. The result is an incense that smells very natural and beautiful.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that this sandalwood goes well with any of the fragrant oolongs like Gui Fei or Wen Shan Bao Zhong.

Bright resin of frankincense with notes of sweet citrus, this elevating incense straddles Oman and Japan.

Ancient resin with notes of melon and orange peel.

Real frankincense tree resin from Oman is pulverized and combined with natural makko to create an incense that is structurally simple, but aromatically complex. This style of incense is very clean and clear like many natural Japanese incense, but the frankincense material causes a transformation that is very elevating and invigorating. The notes of sweet citrus and melon are lovely, and are nothing like the smoky, harsh, and overheated low-quality frankincense you might have smelled in a church.

Frankincense was one of the most prized materials of ancient Egypt and the Middle-East. Alongside other resins like myrhh, opoponax, and mastic... Frankincense was special among these (used by priests for offering and communing with the gods) because it has an upward-moving quality when burned (in contrast, myrhh has a very downward-moving quality, that's why they are so often paired).

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that this Frankincense goes well with any of the fragrant oolongs like Gui Fei or Wen Shan Bao Zhong.

Meditative, yet also wild, and animal-like, this Tibetan style incense has notes of leather, barn, and dark aloeswood.

Traditional meditation incense with notes of barnyard and dark aloeswood.

As wild as it is centering, this Mongolian incense is like a walk into an old barn scented with animals, leather, dark aloeswood, bright cedar, and many other spices. This incense is made with natural cedar, sandalwood, aloeswood, saffron, clove, cinnamon, and other spices to create a warming and focusing fragrance.

Much of the incense from Tibet burns very smoky and I do not prefer it for closed quarters, but this incense from Mongolia is quite smooth and unobtrusive.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Golden Walks pairs well with oolongs and dark teas.

Rustic Tibetan-style incense with clean and prominent notes of cedar, sandalwood, and spices. Beautiful and unobtrusive.

Traditional incense with notes of mountain cedar and sandalwood.

Tibetan in style, this Mongolian incense is like a walk among dry mountain cedar alongside fragrant herbs. This incense is made with natural cedar, sandalwood, aloeswood, clove, cinnamon, and other spices to create a cool and calming fragrance.

Much of the incense from Tibet burns very smoky and I do not prefer it for closed quarters, but this incense from Mongolia is quite smooth and unobtrusive.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Golden Walks pairs well with oolongs and dark teas.